ST Ride Report - to Yaak and Back

Sunday May 31, 2009


OK, it may be time to explain my Motorcycle Road Rating System (MRRS)

10 points for each of the following categories

1. Road surface 1=poor 10=stellar
2. Sweepers / Twistys
3. Lack of LEO's
4. Scenery
5. Traffic level

Highway 37 from Eureka to Libby, left, Montana is hands down the best Motorcycle Road I've ever been on

1. 8
2. 8 sweepers, but not many twistys
3. 10
4. 10+ Blew me away, it looks like B.C. here.
5. 10+ I met maybe 12 cars in over 70 miles
46 total

to compare examples, Beartooth highway gets 2, 10, 3, 10+, 1 = 26
Yellowstone Park get the same.

Anyway, the ride yesterday was the best overall motorcycle road I've ever been on.

My route today was - Hungry Horse to Eureka to Libby to Yaak to Trout Creek.

At the turn off to Thompson Falls, I ran into Mark McVie, a FJR rider, he suggested we run up to Yaak Falls. Great road... 508?... anyway, he turned around at the Falls to go home in Sandpoint and I went up to the little town of Yaak. Had lunch with Patrick and Celeste who were friend og Mark's. Then started for Thompson Falls. The Dam road was paved and I am glad I went over there. A immaculate park at the dam site. I ended up in a motel near Trout Creek, MT

Amazing ride and the weather was fantastic... I could not have had a better day. The motel here has an ST13 rider with his 3 retired buddies... all from Alberta but I'll not hold that against them. I think I've been invited to ride south with them. My planned route id Thompson Falls to St. Regis to Cataldo to St. Maries to Orofino.... that's right, I'm gonna ride US12 again

The rest of the photos.... click here

Todays route

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ST Ride - East on the ST mother Road with Hoot

Left Kamiah and had breakfast as usual at the Wilderness Cafe. An FJR rider showed up and came to an abrupt halt... turned around and asks me, do I know you. I can't see anything but his eyes so.... what.

Turns out it is "Hoot" Gibson a coworker of mine. I made a run from Missoula to Spokane in 2004 with him. We ride up to the Lochsa Lodge and have lunch, then separate as our style is so different. I stopped at the junction of US12 and US93, made a call home and waited for Hoot. Nice guy, I enjoyed the company. It was his idea to take pictures of the river rafters.

Route:
East on the US12 Mother road with Hoot Gibson then on to Hungry Horse
293 miles - MAP
pics of the day start here

ST Ride Report - Drummond again

After a late start from Billings, I made it to Drummond.... seems like I end up in Drummond. They roll up the sidewalks so I settled for a greasy burger at the Frosty Freeze. The Cafe was closed at 8pm. Two cowboys, one with an eye patch, told me, "she make a pretty good burger up there at the Frosty Freeze"

They were right. The old gal that runs the place offered to let me tent "by her pond"

So I did

ST Ride Report - Gonna try it again

UPDATE MAY 28, 2009
Gonna try it again...

After a couple more days of driving poor sick Maggie Crazy and the realization that I can do nothing for her I am going to GO RIDE again

I'll do at least McDonald Pass, Lolo pass, Glacier going to the sun, then back home.
4 days maybe... if the Canada forecast improves then I have my passport

I'm off work 'til Jun 17 with this foot injury, I'll make sure not to rub the left foot on the asphalt!

Click here for all the photos

ST Ride Report - the Burwashout

May 23 and 24, 2009
The trip to the Burwash Strawberry Farm in Washington was quite literally a washout. The forecast called for good weather all week all the way to the coast. I was rained on into Virginia City, spent the night in the tent and then drowned for 6 hours on the way home yesterday. I gave up and headed home after hitting a wall of water on Pipestone pass. The bike didn't hiccup. I was very aware that I was riding on the very same tire off Will England's bike when he crashed in the rain.

Early in the trip, before the rain in Bozeman, I did manage to catch the match of my tennis student Thomas. He and his partner won the State Double Championship. Thomas is a junior and his partner Joe is a sophomore. They should do well next year too!
http://billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/05/24/sports/local/18-prepseniors.txt

Martin Burwash is a farmer and terrific black and white photographer and a railfan writer. I met him in Helena as he was doing an article about our RR for Trains magazine.

Go: http://ramblingwest.blogspot.com/

I did some black and white photos myself on this trip.... interesting with the stormy skies.

For all the photos click here.... pace yourself!

ST Ride report - the plan

Original post May 22, 2009

As you guys probably know, I've been unable to work as it is difficult to walk with a injured achilles tendon.

But I have STD... Short Term Disability Ins.

I can get around well enough to ride and I'm going stir crazy so I'm gonna GO RIDE

Any suggestions, accomodations, etc?

I plan on spending TUE-WED next in Burlington, WA working (observing) on a Strawberry Farm (a buddy)

The planned route is:

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Less than 3

Less than 3 years 'til I retire. I made a resolution the start getting fit for my retirement trip but I'm on injured reserve now. If I had a desk job, I'd not even mention the damaged achilles situation. I planned on riding the bike slowly today. See MichaelsBicycle.blogspot